No-show at movie? You could lose your Iffi pass

Panaji: Delegates arguing with the festival staff over lack of availability of seats for film screenings is an annual scene at the International Film Festival of India (Iffi). Cinema lovers have often alleged that a section of delegates block tickets but dont show up for the screenings, depriving the more serious delegates from accessing good films.

The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) has decided to crackdown on delegates who do not turn up for film screenings after booking the tickets and is in the process of developing a software for the purpose.

"As per the procedure, if you have booked tickets for a show, but you wont be able to attend the screening, you have to get your tickets cancelled, so that the seat is available to other delegates. There is a small section of delegates, who do not cancel their tickets. We now want to create that discipline among Iffi delegates," vice-chairman Rajendra Talak said.

Talak said that the software is likely to be implemented from Iffi 2018. "If a delegate does not show up for upto three screenings after booking tickets for the shows, their delegate card will be blocked," Talak said.

Goa will host Iffi 2017 from November 20 to 28.

Currently, delegates are allowed to book tickets for three film screenings per day. Delegates, who are interested in watching a film, but do not have a ticket for the show, form a queue outside the cinema hall.

Those with tickets are allowed to take their seats and once the screening begins, the ticketless delegates lined up outside are allowed to enter the screenings. But, it leaves plenty of scope for disputes as not everyone gets a seat. "While the software is being readied for Iffi 2018, we are also working towards putting a system in place this year to bring in some seriousness," Talak said.